[cherie]

wow,this is the quickest update i done i think. i got inspired and did the whole chapter within two hours. well,heres chapter five.

Ali left the road and ran into the woods. She was thankfull thease trees had not been cut down yet. They provided cover she desprately needed. Zander was close after her,surprizeingly fast for someone with metal pants for legs.

She was scratched at by low branches. She ignored the pain and continued on. She had not been running long when she tripped over a rock.

"Gotcha!" Cried the slig as he lept onto Ali's back,causeing her to yelp.

" Get off! Your heavey!" She yelled and swung her foot at Zanders face.

Zander grunted as she kicked his face and sent him rolling off. He quickly pulled himself up and snarled.

" I am NOT heavey...am i?" He asked, suddenly looking concerned.

Ali was confused by his sudden change of mood but decided to anwser him. " o.k,i geuss you weren't THAT heavy. But i didn't exactly apperciate you on my back."

"Oh,o.k. Thats all i wanted to...hey! your trying to distract me!"

"Me?" Ali snorted. " your the one who asked,not me."

Zander snarled and started towards her again. Ali wisely ran yet again. She lept over a low branch. She would have kept on running but an idea came to mind. She smiled as she pulled back the springy branch and waited for Zander to get in range. Zander appeared and headed toward her,not noticeing the branch she held back.

" Take this you jerk!" She yelled out and let go. The branch sprung forward and hit Zander,sending him flying back. Ali laughed and ran off. She was so happy over her trick she nearly didn't see the cliff.

"WOAH!" she yelped.

Ali stopped short,nearly going over the cliffs edge.

"Oh,thank Odd." She gasped, shaken by her near fall. Thats when Zander lept onto her back.

" This time i have you!" Zander snarled.

Ali pinwheeled her arms,trying to keep her balance. Unfortunely Zanders sudden weight sent her and a surprized Zander toppleing off the cliff edge. Both mudokon and slig screamed on the way down.

"Oh Odd,we're gonna die!" Screamed Zander, his claws digging into Ali's skin.

Foretunely and unfortunely the two ended up falling through a tree. Fortunely because the branches slowed their fall. Unfortunely because falling through the branches hurt like hell. Both cried out in pain multiple times, loud enough to be heard over the breaking of branches. They finely cleared the branches and hit the ground by the massive tree. There was a loud CRACK from Zanders arm and he screamed in pain before passing out.

Ali was a little more luckey. She hadn't broke anything but she had landed hard on her rump. Ounce she got her senses back she spat out what seemed like a tree worths of leaves that have somehow gotten into her mouth.

" I can't belive i'm alive." She gasped. She slowly got to her feet and searched herself for any broken bones or bleeding wounds. Besides a few scratches she was fine. Satisfied that she was o.k she looked over to Zander. She could see his slow breatheing. For some reason she was happy to see he was alive.

With that information she turned and began to walk away. A sudden feeling of guilt made her stop. A wild animal could find the blacked out slig and eat him if she left him like this.

"Stop being silly." Ali murmered to herself. " He wouldn't care what would happen to you if you were in the same postion. Why should you care about him?"

She Started off again but stopped and turned one more time. After a few minutes of decideing she sighed and walked over to Zanders body.

"I hope you apperciate this." She said to Zander though she knew he couldn't hear her. After a bit of struggleing she was able to lift Zander up onto her back, letting his head and arms hang over her shoulders.

" You know what." She grunted through clenched teeth. " I lied,you ARE heavy."

With that she started out into the deep woods.

Two hours later Ali had to stop for a break,her back in much pain from supporting Zander. She carefully put him on the ground and stretched.

" Odd,i wish he would wake up so i wouldn't have to carry him anymore." She mumbled.

After a long bout of streching she plopped onto a small brush of plantlife.

" I don't know what i'm doing" She said to herself. " I don't even have an idea how to survive out here."

"Well,for one thing dear,you shouldn't sit in Scratch Weed." A voice said.

Ali quickly turned her head. Standing there was a old light green mudokon. Instead of a braid of feathers he had one small gray feather sticking out of his scalp.

" Who are you?" Ali asked. " And whats Scratch Weed?"

The old mudokon smiled at her. " I am Oron. And Scratch Weed is a plant that causes weeks of itchyness."

" Oh...ACK!" She yelped and jumped from where she had been sitting. Oron couldn't help but laugh.

" Don't worry dear, If you wash the oils from the plant off in the river you may be able to avoid that." His eye then fell on Zander.

"Whos your friend?"

" He's not my friend!" Ali shot out.

Oron gave Ali a confused look. " Not your friend huh? And yet you carried him all this way?"

"What? How do you.."

" I've been watching you since you two fell off that cliff."

" Oh, Well you could have revealed yourself BEFORE i sat in the Scratch Weed."

Oron laughed again.

"You do have a point there. Oh well,whats done is done. Come on,i'll show you to the river. Meanwhile i'll attend to your..i mean the slig. Fro mthe sound he made when he hit the ground i think he may have a broken arm. "

Helping Ali Support Zander the two disappeared into the trees.